BOOK NOOK; Gallant by V E Schwab

 

"Run, says her blood.

Stay, say her bones."

Gallant is the story of sixteen year old Olivia Prior, brought up in an orphanage and mute since birth.  She doesn't know much about her parents, only what she has gleaned from her mother's diary, which is her most treasured possession.  So when a letter arrives from a mysterious uncle she didn't know she had, inviting her to live with him at a Gothic mansion called Gallant, she is eager for a fresh start and a chance to get to know her family.

However, Gallant isn't all she hoped for. On arrival, she discovers that her uncle has been dead for some time and so could not possibly have written the letter. What is more, her cousin is hostile and doesn't want her at Gallant, a place he has claimed entirely as his own. To make matters even more distressing, Olivia can see the ghosts and ghouls that haunt the corridors of Gallant, including the sad specter of her own mother.  

Determined to stay, despite her cousin trying to show her the door more than once, Olivia must piece together the pieces of the puzzle to discover what happened to her mother, who her father was and why Gallant is so full of ghosts.  She embarks on a journey that will change her life and the lives of those around her, forever.

This is a great spooky book with an interesting protagonist.  Being unable to speak means that the dialogue is always entirely one sided, yet Olivia is a well-drawn character and the story is told entirely from her perspective, offering a glimpse into the frustrations of one who finds communication difficult.  Nevertheless, Olivia makes her feelings known quite plainly to anyone rude enough to turn their back on her sign language! 

There is no doubt that Gallant is a haunted house, but it isn't the only haunted house in the book, for there is another, far more sinister dwelling that Olivia is drawn to, one which holds the secrets to her heritage and family ties.

This is one of those books which is difficult to review, simply because I don't want to give anything away!  It is a great page turner and very atmospheric, full of shades and shadows of things that have been and could be again.  If you like ghost stories and spooky houses then Gallant will be right up your street.  It is a beautifully written Gothic tale and I enjoyed it very much. I will be reading more of this author's work in the future.  Happy Reading!

BB Marie x

AD: This book was sent to me by the publisher for the purposes of review.  It is available now in both digital and hard cover formats. 

Book Nook; Horrid by Katrina Leno

"In the soft beam of the light's glow, the foyer looked even spookier than it had a few minutes ago.  There was a faded Oriental rug running the length of the hall; a wide open staircase spun upward and disappeared into shadow; and the banister and entrance  table were covered in a thick layer of dust."

I have been very drawn to ghost stories of late. I'm still not ready to let go of the spooky vibes of the dark season and as we are expecting another cold spell in Yorkshire this week, with the possibility of snow, it still feels far too early to start reading the faerie tropes that I enjoy during the warmer months.  So instead, I picked up Horrid.

This book has been sitting in one of my bookcases in my study since it was first published in the 2020 lock-down.  I have been wanting to get to it, but I also wanted to wait until I had time to give myself up to the story completely, without any distractions. So for the past couple of days, that is exactly what I have done, relaxing on the chaise in the sunshine, reading about a haunted house in Maine.  It is based around a poem by Longfellow; There was a little girl, who had a little curl, right in the middle of her forehead, so each section of the book is based upon a single line of verse.

Horrid is a tale steeped in death, both beginning and ending with a life lost.  The novel explores how bereavement often acts as both a catalyst for change and a revealer of family secrets, secrets that might have been hidden for decades, but which suddenly come to light, leaving the bereaved family members reeling.  This is what happens to the protagonist Jane, who is forced to leave LA when her father dies and move back to her mother's family home in Maine, a place that her mother has avoided for years. And with good reason too, for the family manor-house is anything but welcoming and the ghostly atmosphere of the story spooks right off the page!

This is the kind of ghost story that gives you an unsettled feeling in the pit of your stomach as you read - that feeling which tells you that you're starting to get a little bit scared, a little bit spooked. I love reading spooky books that have a thick atmosphere of dread about them. This novel ticks all the boxes, building in suspense until the final denouement takes place on Halloween.  The ending is quite surprising too - almost as if it's not quite the end at all and perhaps a sequel is on the cards? I hope so because I really enjoyed this one. It has been lovely spending time in this haunted house of the author's creation.  Sometimes the prettiest little girls are the meanest. Enjoy!

BB Marie x

Writer's Dream; Nessie Away!

 I wrote this piece as part of my MA in Creative Writing last year.  It was a brief classroom exercise wherein we had to write a sketch of magical realism. As usual, I looked to Scotland for inspiration and an image flashed through my mind of Nessie, swimming up the river Thames and why that might occur...this is the result. Enjoy!

MA Loch Ness Sketch

by Marie Bruce

“The giant serpent, or monster as some people call it, was first sighted this morning heading up the River Thames.  At first eyewitnesses thought it was a submarine, when they saw the long neck breaking the water like a periscope, until the famous humps followed to the surface.  It is thought that the monster is making its way towards the Houses of Parliament, which have been evacuated as a precaution.  The Prime Minister has retreated to Chequers, said to be suffering from shock at this latest threat, just months after the Covid virus has been defeated.  Robert MacFuelee has been studying the monster for some years.  Robert, should Londoners be afraid right now and what precautions should they be taking?”

            “Aye there isna any need tae be afeared of Nessie, lassie.  Just leave a wee dram of whiskey by the waters edge on a Friday and Saturday night and that’ll keep her so happy, she’ll bless ye with good luck and long life.  We’ve been doing it fer decades in Inverness and she hasn’t been a bother at all.  She has a particular fondness for Talisker from the Isle of Skye, and Tomatin too as its made near her home town of Inverness.”

            “Mmm interesting. Robert why do you think that the Loch Ness Monster has ventured this far south and what does she want with the Houses of Parliament?”

            “The Scots have always been explorers and adventurers.  Our Nessie isna any different. She probably just fancied a change.  She is a shy creature, but she’s also used to a lot of tourists up on Loch Ness. Obviously we havna had the tourists coming due to the pandemic, so I think she’s probably just a wee bit lonely and felt like a holiday of her own.”

            “And why do you think she chose the River Thames specifically? Why not the River Don or the River Severn, for example?”

            “She’s used to space and the Thames has that.  She’s also used to people being around and London has that too. She might be shy, but she likes to feel the activity around her.  Just because the tourists dinna see Nessie, that doesna mean that Nessie doesna see the tourists! She knows all that goes on.”

            “And why do you think she is making for the Houses of Parliament?”

            “I think that’s a deliberate strategy on her part.  She wants to stir up the Parliamentarians, give them a wee fright to keep them on their toes.  Let’s not forget that Nessie is a Nationalist.  Who know’s – she might even be here on Nicola Sturgeon’s orders!  Just be glad she hasna got a keg of gunpower strapped to her back, ye know?!”

            “Robert Macfuelee – thank you.  Well, as the monster continues her progress up the River Thames, the Metropolitan Marine Police Force are urging people to stay away from the river and are advising caution.  The current police advice is Do Not Approach The Monster! – I repeat, Do Not Approach The Monster!.  This is Angelica Winterbottom, on the banks of the River Thames, for BBC News.”

    As the journalist finishes her report, a long necked head appears over her shoulder, as Nessie bares a toothy grin for the camera, in the ultimate photobomb opportunity.

 

BOOK NOOK; The Haunting Season

 

"Fires blazed in every hearth.  Delicious scents of cinnamon and roast meat drifted up from the kitchens, and all the windows were laced with frost.  It seemed impossible to believe that this house, this very chair, had appeared so menacing by night."

The Chillingham Chair by Laura Purcell

As winter draws to a close, I have been making the most of the dark nights before they slip away into springtime, curling up by the fire each evening to read one of these chilling tales. The Haunting Season, Ghostly Tales for Long Winter Nights is a collection of new and original ghost stories by some of today's most popular authors.   There are eight stories in all, most of them set in the Victorian era.

While each story is unique and unrelated to the others in this collection, there is a cohesiveness throughout the book, for it has been put together with traditional story-telling tropes at its heart.  Some of these contributions reminded me of the works of M R James, that timeless master of the classic ghost story, building in atmosphere and leaving the reader's own imagination to provide the fear. 

Each tale is set during the depths of winter, so there are snow-bound haunted houses and Christmas cheer mixed with spooky vibes.  My favourite stories were Lily Wilt by Jess Kidd, The Chillingham Chair by Laura Purcell and Confinement by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, which all cover themes of classic Victorian Gothic horror. Here you will find tales of incarceration, death and murder, while Thwaite's Tenant by Imogen Hermes Gowar is quite Bronte-esque and reminded me of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. 

It is has been described by some as a cosy book and I do think that there is something very cosy about pulling a comfy chair up to the fire, or snuggling down into bed to read a good ghost story, as the rain, sleet and snow batter the windowpanes.  Dark nights should be enjoyed and a book like The Haunting Season is the perfect companion to share them with. 

It is the kind of book best read by candlelight, with mulled wine or hot chocolate close by. I have enjoyed reading it over the past week and I know I will want to re-read it when Halloween rolls round again later this year and I'm ready for spooky vibes once more.  The final story in this collection is based on selkie folklore, so I feel that it leads me into faerie season quite nicely!  If you like classic Victorian style ghost stories then you will probably enjoy this book, so curl up and hide under the covers with these Ghostly Tales for a cosy night in at winter's end. 

BB Marie x

ONCE UPON A DREAM; Witch Supplies and Storage

 

Like most witches, I have a chest of magic tricks at my disposal - a chest which I fondly refer to as my witch's pantry.  Usually it is full of all the things I need to make my Craft fly and I like to have my supplies in good order.  The other day however, I went to my chest to find that it was almost empty.  

During the pandemic I haven't been visiting New Age shops as I normally would and now I'm kind of out of the habit of going to the local shopping centre too.  I'm sure its a habit I'll get back into at some stage, but because of this reluctance to be in large crowds of shoppers, my magical chest had run dry.

Of course herbs and oils don't last forever.  They have a shelf life, so it is good witchy practice to run things down once in a while and make sure everything is used up. Now though it was time to replenish my magical chest with all fresh ingredients, herbs, oils, smudge sticks and a few crystals for good measure.  I already had plenty of empty spell jars and pouches, so I didn't need anymore of those. It was really just the consumables I had to replenish. So I went shopping online and found some lovely things, just for witches!

First on my shopping list was Blessing Seeds.  I don't like to run out of these completely because they are just so useful.  You can literally use them for virtually any kind of spell and as the name would suggest, they lend the power of a sacred blessing to your magic. I picked up a large bag and refilled the jar I use to keep them in. 

Then I went looking for herbs.  I don't have green fingers - that's my mother's talent and she didn't seem to pass it on! - so I prefer to use dried herbs.  I had some sage, mint and rosemary that I had dried myself, which I'd picked from my Mum's garden, but I needed more and I needed a wider variety of herbs to use in spells. So I was delighted to come across this stunning box of witch's herbs.

The box itself is a dark, forest green with gold metallic lettering and design.  The box has a magnetic lid, which when opened reveals a plethora of dried herbs, bark, roots and flowers, selected specifically for their magical properties.  It is a beautiful work of art and something that is pretty enough to have out on display if you don't mind people knowing of your witchy interests.  Here in this enchanting box of tricks are all the staple herbs that you would expect to find in any witch's pantry - mugwort, motherwort, juniper, yarrow and willow bark, along with pretty petals of rose, peony and chamomile.  There is peppermint for prosperity, lavender for luck, dandelion for wishes and goals and many more. Altogether there are 25 bags of herbs, each one selected for its magical powers and usefulness in spell-craft, though you could also use them in candle and soap making too. 

As part of the collection, the box includes three little jars of crystal shards - mine were red jasper, lapis lazuli and malachite - along with an amethyst tumble stone crystal and the most adorable little spoon for measuring out your herbs.  I do have a herb spoon which is made of seashell that I picked up in an antique store in Castleton, Derbyshire some years ago, but it will be nice to have two. The spoon in the box is embossed with roses all over and has a clear quartz crystal at the top of the handle to amplify your spells. It could also double as a small wand to direct energy too.   It really is the most beautiful witchy item I have ever bought! So much thought has gone into making this collection as diverse and useful  as possible and between this box of herbs, my mother's garden and the jar of blessing seeds, I'm all set for spell craft!

Of course, I'm going to keep the magical herbs in their original keepsake box, because it is just too beautiful not to use everyday! This also leaves more space in my chest for other things, such as the Blessing Seeds jar and smudge bundles of white sage.  I also bought some jars of crystal shards too. I have a lot of tumblestones, but I also like to work with shards as they are very useful when making up containment spells, poppets, talismens and so on.  So I bought 12 jars, each filled with a different kind of crystal.

In addition, I replenished the things I use all the time such as spell candles and essential oils. I have spent a couple of happy hours this afternoon, sorting and organizing all my new witchy supplies and putting them neatly into the chest.  Now my witch's chest is heavy with magical possibility and I find it's weight very comforting!  These tools will prove invaluable as I start to cast for the safety of the military personnel who might be caught up in the Ukraine/Russia conflict.  Because that's just what good witches do - we cast spells to mitigate the impact of negative events.  Now I have all the tools I need to do just that!

Happy Casting!

BB Marie x

Witchcraft Herbs for Magic, Spells and Rituals Box 

BOOK NOOK; The Hemlock Cure by Joanne Burn

 

"Last week Marshall dug a grave a day, and the village filled it. So far this week those numbers have doubled. The tailor's house where it all began lies in the middle of the village.  The plague has spread from house to house, east and west. It continues to make its way like a curious visitor - unperturbed by bolted doors, the burning of gunpowder, the strewing of herbs, the dousing of aromatics and perfumes. The children play no more in the streets, but it seeks them instead in their parlours and kitchens. 

It seeks them in their beds."

Being born and bred in Sheffield,  I have always been aware of the village of Eyam.  It is a staple destination on the school trip schedule and all Yorkshire kids are taken there and taught about the enormous sacrifice that the villagers made during the time of the Great Plague.  

I have been there several times, both as a child and as an adult.  Eyam is a very pretty Yorkshire village, resembling the lid of a chocolate box. Due to its history, however, it has a very haunting atmosphere that stays with you long after the trip is over.  To this day, there is an eeriness which lingers over 'the Plague graves'.  It is the kind of place where an entire class of children will fall silent, without being told to by the teacher.  It has a very sobering effect on people.

The Hemlock Cure is set in Eyam during those same Plague years, when the villagers chose to isolate themselves to prevent the disease spreading to nearby Sheffield and beyond. It was a very heroic act and one that will always be honoured and respected by Yorkshire folk. 

Set against this historical backdrop is the story of Mae, the daughter of the village apothecary, who longs to be accepted by her father, Wulfric, as his official apprentice.  But Wulfric believes that women have no place dealing in medicines and while he is happy to let Mae pick herbs and berries etc and prepare them for his work, he won't allow her to do more than that.  Mae is secretly taking lessons from a local wise woman instead and when Wulfric discovers this, he becomes convinced that Mae is a witch.  It doesn't help her case that the Plague is rife in the village and people are dying everyday. Someone must be to blame and witchcraft is as good an explanation as any.  

Narrated by a ghost, this novel wings along at a good pace. It captures the haunting atmosphere of Eyam beautifully, transferring it to the page and showing the devastating effect the Plague had on the village.  The author has inserted her fictional characters seamlessly into the real history of the village, drawing in actual historical characters too, to add weight and authenticity to her story.  

It is a marvelous book and one that has added poignancy as we begin to emerge from a similar pandemic ourselves.  It has also made me want to take another trip to Eyam, to repeat my gratitude at the Plague graves, with a new understanding and empathy of what it means to face and live through a pandemic.  The Hemlock Cure is a novel that would have been a great read at any time, but which will find an even more sympathetic audience in the years that follow the Covid outbreak.  I have very much enjoyed curling up with this novel in the winter evenings, as various storms rage around my home. I highly recommend it. Happy Reading!

Marie x

AD: This book was sent to me by the publisher for review purposes.  It is available now in hardcover and digital download formats. 

 

BOOK NOOK; Witch by Finbar Hawkins

"Wood creaked beneath my feet, like I stepped out upon a still pond.  And floating upon it, I saw a bed of cotton sheets with a quilt of many threads.  A table and chair, a silver brush waiting for hair. And an oval mirror above them all, filled with the light that fell from a gilded window." 

I have just finished reading Witch by Finbar Hawkins which is an extraordinary novel of the witch trials.  I have read lots of novels that tackle this subject, but I have to say that this is one of the finest in terms of the style of writing.  As you can see from the extract above, Witch is a lyrical novel, told in a poetic style and the language has that magical, fairytale quality that I love. It sings off the page, like a cross between a nursery rhyme and an old fable, retold around the fireplace on a cold winter's night. 

It is a book that draws you in from the very first sentence and as it is written in regional dialect, it feels very authentic and original right from the start. It is clear that this author loves language, that he enjoys the musicality of words strung together in just the right way. I got the impression that he thinks very carefully before choosing a particular word, creating magical phrases that are entirely original, such as a blade being hatched from a cane.  This is the kind of training we had on the MA, so it came as no surprise to me to find that he too holds an MA in creative writing. 

The novel is about a young girl who witnesses her mother's death during the witch craze of the 1600's.  She is torn between the need to keep her little sister safe and seek revenge on those who killed her mother.  When it comes to the crunch, she takes the path of revenge and the novel follows her journey as she seeks out her enemies.

There is magic and spell-casting woven throughout the tale, with themes of betrayal, war and superstition being key factors in the turning of the plot. At times it feels quite threatening, as witches are hunted, but I wouldn't say that it's a scary book.  It is a book which questions if revenge is justified when it turns the victim into the perpetrator?  It could also serve as a warning, never to cross a witch!

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel over the past couple of nights and I was completely absorbed by this dangerous world. If you like witchy books you will enjoy this one. And if you enjoy reading poetic prose, Witch is one of the finest examples I've read in a long time. Happy Reading!

BB Marie x

AD This book was sent to me by the publisher for review purposes. It is available now in paperback and digital formats.